This Week in Sustainability 4.30.12

If you are interested in having an event sent out over the listserv, please send an email with the title, time, date, location and description to susevent@indiana.edu by the Saturday evening before your event occurs.

Monday, April 30 IUB Libraries Green Team presents Megan Anderson, president of Coal Free IU
When: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Where: Wells Library E174
Description: The Libraries Green Team is pleased to bring our first guest speaker to the Wells Library on Monday April 30. We are excited to welcome Megan Anderson, president of Coal Free IU. Megan is a senior at Indiana University with a major in Nonprofit Management, Public Affairs. While at IU she completed an internship with the Marine Corps Environmental Management Program at their headquarters in Arlington, Virginia developing Sustainability Plans to be implemented across all bases. She is currently interning with the Sierra Student Coalition Beyond Coal Campaign. Her presentation will cover Indiana University’s use of coal and the impact of that use both locally and across country.
Coal Free IU launched in 2009 as part of the Sierra Student Coalition’s Beyond Coal Campaign, and was formed as a student group at IU with the mission of “transitioning IU beyond coal to 100% renewable energy.”

Wednesday, May 2
“Stylish Cycling” panel discussion
When: 7:00 pm
Where: Room 1C of the Monroe County Public Library
Description: Ready to become a professional pedaler? Come to a “Stylish Cycling” panel discussion and hear tips and tricks from working women on how to bicycle to work and still look great. They will share their stories of mastering the bicycle commute and talk about how to look professional, stay safe, and have fun while traveling on a bike. (Lycra and spandex are entirely optional.) Ask your questions, share tips with others, and enjoy free tea and cookies. All levels of bicyclists welcome, including not-yet-riders and those with bicycles buried deep in the garage. Sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Living and the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability

Friday, May 4
2012 IKE Environmental Summit: Local and Urban Foods
When: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Fourth Floor, IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd, Indianapolis, 46202
Description: Former U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture Gus Schumacher, who co-founded a non-profit that works to bring fresh, local food to underserved communities, will keynote a summit on urban and local foods in Indianapolis on Friday, May 4. Mr. Schumacher served as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1997 to 2001. He was a member of the 21st Century Sustainable Agricultural Task Force of the National Academy of Sciences. He also assisted in overseeing the preparation of the Chicago Council of Global Affairs report titled “Modernizing America’s Food and Farm Policy: Vision for a New Direction.”Community gardens, urban agriculture, school-based gardens, farmers’ markets and locally grown foods are growing in popularity. $20 registration fee includes lunch. Click here for more information and registration. Event organized by Improving Kids’ Environment.

Saturday, May 5
Indigo Transplanting
When: 4:00 – 6:00 pm (weather permitting)
Where: Hilltop Garden and Nature Center
Description: Please join us as we start our third season of indigo growing at Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. On Saturday afternoon we’ll be transplanting this year’s seedlings to the field and taking a look at the new indigo processing shed. The transplanting of indigo is quite simple. In bunches of 5-6 plants the seedlings are set in prepared rows, covered with a handful or two of soil, and stomped into place. Bring comfortable clothing, shoes & hat for working in the heat. Everyone welcome. Contact indigo@indiana.edu with questions.
About IndiGrowing Blue: Ever wondered just what indigo is or where dyes originally came from? Interested in gardening or sustainable practices? Curious about natural fermentation processes? Then get involved in IndiGrowing Blue! Indigo as a material and process has rich potential for generating creative resonance between art, farming, and society. Started in 2012 by Fine Arts Assistant Professor Rowland Ricketts, IndiGrowing Blue works to create a first-hand experience of the cycle of Japanese indigo farming and processing, and to invest participants as collaborators in the creative process.

Tuesday, May 15
Green Funerals Workshop
When: 7:00 p.m.
Where: Washington Park North Cemetery Funeral Center, 2706 Kessler Blvd W Dr Indianapolis, IN 46228
Description: The average cemetery buries 100,000 gallons of embalming fluid, 97.5 tons of steel, 2,028 tons of concrete, and 56,250 board-feet of high quality wood in just one acre. It’s also estimated that the amount of fossil fuel used to cremate in the United States would fuel a trip to the moon and back 84 times each year.
Learn about green funerals, green burial options, anatomical gifts and other end-of-life planning at the next Indianapolis Green Congregations workshop. Hosted by Barbara Milton, Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Centers. Event will include a tour of the green burial ground at Washington Park North. Register at: www.ikecoalition.org/events.

News, ongoing events, and opportunities:

The IU Campus Garden Initiative announces summer programming
There are several ways in which you can become involved with the Initiative this summer:
(1) Weekly workdays will take place on Tuesdays from 5-7PM and on Fridays from 9-11AM. No need to sign up ahead of time, just show up ready to play in the dirt and grow food for the campus community!
(2) You and at least three of your friends, peers, and/or co-workers can “Adopt-a-Day” at the Hilltop Garden! Monday from 9-11AM, Wednesday from 2-4PM, and Saturday from 10-12AM are ready for adoption each week! To adopt a workday, send an email to iugarden@indiana.edu that includes your group name, primary contact (email and phone number), and expected number of participants (minimum of 4 required).
(3) Our Summer Planting Day will take place on June 16th from 10am-12pm! Check the calendar for details about other exciting garden events as they are planned.

Live in the Bloomington Coop: Affordable housing for sustainability and social empowerment
Bloomington Cooperative Living in a member-owned and -operated non-profit in Bloomington. We house three dozen people, equal parts undergraduate, graduate, and townie. In exchange for paying dues, doing chores, and attending meetings, you get a diverse community, fantastic regular meals, more beautiful people in your life, and stake in an enterprise providing one of the most affordable, sustainable, and empowering lifestyles in town.
Check out http://bloomingtoncoop.org. We’re currently working to buy a 20 person building downtown: you own it, you run it. Our other open properties are on Atwater, right next to campus. Openings are available for summer and fall, first-come, first-served. Dues, including all rent, utilities, and food, range between $500-$600 per month, depending on the size of the room. For comments or questions, write bloomingtoncoop@gmail.com, or stick your questions in along with your application: http://bloomingtoncoop.org/apply.

The Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research at the University of Louisville accepting applications for the Leigh Ann Conn Fellows program
Undergrad and grad students from ANY university are eligible to apply for these fellowships. This is an excellent opportunity to form collaborations, diversify educational experiences, work in a state of the art research facility, and take advantage of expertise in renewable energy research at the University of Louisville. The Conn Center conducts and facilitates R&D on potentially commercializable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The Center promotes partnerships among the state’s colleges and universities, private industries, and non-profit organizations to actively pursue federally and privately funded research and development resources that are dedicated to renewable energy solutions.
Full program description and application details can be found at http://conncenter.org/energy-education/conn-fellows/. For more information on the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research, see http://conncenter.org.

Hoosier Environmental Council seeks summer interns
The Hoosier Environmental Council (HEC) is now accepting applications for summer 2012 interns. HEC works to raise awareness and stimulate discussion about environmental issues in Indiana— and ultimately help change laws, create jobs, protect and improve the environment, and make Indiana a healthier, better place to live and do business. HEC aims to recruit top quality law, graduate, and undergraduate students for its 2012 Summer Internship/Research Associate program. See this PDF for further information and application instructions.

Moving this summer? Have too much stuff? DONATE IT!
The Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale will take anything*—clothes, furniture, housewares, non-perishable food—and all funds raised support local non-profits. Here’s how:
– Live in a residence hall? Look for the collection areas on each floor starting at the end of April.
– Live off-campus? Check with your landlord or contact us for a pick-up (h2h@indiana.edu) starting in May. We need a few days notice.
– Want to drop something off yourself? Drop off from 9am – 2pm on May 7 at Gladstein Fieldhouse, or check the website for scheduled drop-off days.
– Want more info? Visit www.indiana.edu/~h2h.
*Except mattresses.

Bloomington Environmental Commission seeks two summer interns
The Bloomington Environmental Commission is hiring two paid summer intern positions. The positions are both 20 hr/week and compensation is $10/hr. Applications will be accepted until April 30, but positions may be filled before this date, so please apply as soon as possible if you’re interested. One internship will focus on the Bloomington Environmental Quality Indicators, while the other will focus on natural landscaping initiatives. Both descriptions are available here: http://indiana.edu/~sustain/temp/docs/BEC-su-interns-12.pdf.

Summer Interns Needed for Middle Way House Rooftop Garden Project!
The Middle Way House Rooftop Garden initiative is looking for dedicated people to take part in a summer internship. We are looking for people with interest in and experience with gardening, vermiculture, sustainability (LEED), urban agriculture, site and demonstration design, child education, photography, and journalism. Anyone with a desire to learn about this wonderful project and rooftop gardening, in general, is strongly encouraged to apply. The un-paid internships will require approximately 5-7 hours each week. The dates for summer work are May 7thto August 27th. Please contact Garden Coordinator, Ricca Macklin, by email at richmack@indana.edu to discuss the positions.

Check out sustainability courses for summer and fall 2012!
Plan for the fall semester or add a summer course with sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses through the IUOS web site or Office of the Registrar. Contact aiwg@indiana.edu with questions or suggestions for the listings.

Students: do you support social and environmental sustainability?
Check the box to donate $5 to the IU Student Sustainability Fund when you register for classes. Already registered? It’s not too late! Follow this link to check the box. Learn more and get involved: http://www.indiana.edu/~iubssc/sustainability_fund/index.php.

Bread & Roses announces new nursery extension
Bread & Roses: Edible & Beautiful Landscapes has expanded to include a nursery with the aim of providing local, high quality, sustainably grown, edible, useful, and medicinal plants. Pre-orders are now being accepted for Spring 2012. Plants will be available beginning in early April, and we will be co-hosting a series of spring plant sales with Keith Johnson at Renaissance Farm this April-May. Please send any inquiries to Salem at salemwillard@gmail.com.

Seeking Operation Team Leaders/Members for the Bloomington Community Orchard
Are you interested in the day-to-day maintenance, hands-on work, systems building, or volunteer involvement of Bloomington’s ever-evolving, publicly-owned, volunteer-run Orchard? We are looking for team members to fulfill many different roles needed for upkeep, including: organizing workdays, creating and preparing projects, deciding when things will happen and how, connecting volunteers with certain activities, and preparing the Orchard for all the activities we do. If you would like to get involved with the Operations Team, please contact Stacey Decker at staceyldecker@gmail.com.

Byron Fellowship 2012: Request for Nominations
The Byron Fellowship is an interdisciplinary course in sustainable communities that uniquely engages participants through place-based learning. We are looking for 18 to 20 exceptional upper class undergraduates, graduate students, or recent graduates that have a passionate interest in creating sustainable communities.
This year’s Byron Fellowship will take place May 20 – 25 at Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana.
During the five and a half day program, participants will learn from a collection of academic teachers and active practitioners. Participants and mentors represent a wide spectrum of disciplines including the arts, natural science, social science, engineering, and theology. The teaching methods include tutorial mentoring, collaborative discussion, team building, and individual reflection.
More information is available at: http://www.byronfellowship.org

Join the Student Committee for the IU Fall Involvement Fair
Interact with other students, build relationships and gain leadership experience through this volunteer opportunity. The committee will be broken up into smaller committees that include: Publicity, Entertainment andSustainability. Students involved will attend committee meetings and work with other students starting this semester. Plan sustainability initiatives and be a part of the “Green Team” at the fair!
We need creative students to help make the next Student Involvement Fair a success! Students with ideas for the fair or just an eagerness to be involved with the process should contact Allie Medellin at sif@indiana.edu.

Permaculture interns sought for Bread & Roses Gardens
Bread & Roses Gardens is a woodland homestead in Will Holler, on the south side of Lake Monroe, 10 miles south of Bloomington in the heart of Hoosier National Forest. Certified Permaculture Designer Salem Willard founded Bread & Roses in January of 2011 to create a thriving example of sustainable living. Interns will be asked to commit to a minimum of 4~6 hours/week. Ideally interns will be able to join us throughout the growing season (March~October), however seasonal positions will be considered. In addition to cerebral and kinesthetic learning at B&R Gardens, we will naturally send helpers home with handfuls of hearty goods to feed their hearts and hungry stomachs. We are more than willing to negotiate hosting independent learning projects for credit through the University. Visit http://www.breadandrosesgardens.com/index.html to learn more about Bread & Roses. Click here to download PDF flier with more information about the internships.

Opportunities with Pick Up America
Pick Up America is looking for people to travel with us this year! In 2012, we will be completing our three year coast-to-coast roadside litter pick-up by walking from Colorado to the California coast. We are seeking young, energetic leaders who are ready to hit the road, pick up litter, and organize for a more sustainable America. We are a one-of-a-kind traveling nonprofit crew aiming to connect with one-of-a-kind individuals. An ideal candidate would be self-motivated, know how to be a team player, and be eager to educate, strategize, network, and inspire resource stewardship and zero-waste in America. Visit http://pickupamerica.org/connect to find all the details about the available positions.

Green Corps Now Accepting Applications
Green Corps is looking for college graduates who are ready to take on the biggest environmental challenges of our day. In Green Corps’ year-long paid program, you’ll get intensive training in the skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. You’ll get hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems — global warming, deforestation, water pollution and many others — with groups such as Sierra Club and Food and Water Watch. And, when you graduate from Green Corps, we’ll help you find a career with one of the nation’s leading environmental and social change groups. In the next few months, we‘ll invite 35 college graduates to join Green Corps in 2012-2013. We’re looking for people who are serious about saving the planet, people who have taken initiative on their campus or community, and people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work for change over the long haul. If you think you’re one of those people, visit http://www.greencorps.org/apply to submit your application to join the 2012-2013 class of Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental Organizing. Green Corps’ year-long program begins in August 2012 with Introductory Classroom Training in Boston, and continues with field placements in multiple locations across the U.S. Candidates must be willing to relocate. For more information, visit www.greencorps.org or contact Aaron Myran, Green Corps Recruitment Director, at aaron@greencorps.org or 617.747.4302.

Downtown Bloomington Recycling Center open for business
A new recycling center has opened downtown in the parking lot behind the Showers Building on 10th Street. The center is part of a collaboration of the City of Bloomington, Monroe County Solid Waste Management District and Pedal Power owner Chad Roeder to make recycling more sustainable and accessible to downtown residents.
The recycling center is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Materials accepted at the center include:
– Steel and aluminum cans (no scrap metal)
– Plastics #1-7
– Clear and colored glass bottles and jars (no window glass, mirrors, light bulbs, etc)
– Mixed paper/fibrous products (junk mail, newspaper, office paper, paperboard, etc)
– Corrugated cardboard
All materials must be free from food contamination, and paper and cardboard products must be dry. The center does not currently accept hazardous materials such as paint, aerosols, poisons or batteries, but these items may be taken to the Monroe County Recycling Center at 3400 S. Walnut Street. Visit their facebook page or website for more information. For further questions about the recycling center downtown call Chad Roeder at 325-2777.

Sign a petition for local transit funding referenda
Bloomington Transportation Options for People (B-TOP) has passed a resolution supporting a petition from the Central Indiana Regional Transit Authority calling for dedicated funding for transportation. To read and sign the petition, visit http://www.cirta.us/. Also, if you are involved in an organization that may want to pass a resolution, the coalition is looking for more supporting organizations to sign on.

Common Circle Education announces cross-country bike trip & permaculture design course
This three-month intensive course combines our Urban Permaculture and Regenerative Leadership Certificate training, followed by a Wilderness First Aid training before we head on the road cycling from Eugene, Oregon all the way across America to Washington DC (we’ll be roughly following the
TransAM bike route – about 4200 miles), promoting and learning about sustainable living and intentional communities. Program takes place between June 1 – August 31, 2012 and is designed for beginner to intermediate cyclists. More details @ http://commoncircle.com/cross-country-bicycle-tour.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Seeks Volunteers
As a volunteer run organization, the ReStore has made great strides this past year, such as sponsoring an energy star rated Habitat home as well as diverting over 228 tons of goods from the landfill. With your help, we can go further. At the heart of the Habitat ReStore’s operating philosophy is a sense for the green and the hope that we can create a more sustainable community in Bloomington. With daily volunteer opportunities available, this is a great way to make a direct impact in your community. Contact Bruce Murray at 331-2660 ormurray@monroecountyhabitat.org for more information about how you can help!

Green Acres Neighborhood Ecovillage
Want to grow sustainable community right here in Bloomington? Our “retrofit cohousing” ecovillage offers sustainability-related events, community potlucks, music jams, and much more. Come learn with us (even if you don’t live in the neighborhood) and make new friends. We welcome folks of all ages who are attracted to our vision. Learn more at www.ganecovillage.org/vision-and-values. To get involved, join our email list by sending a blank email to: green-acres-neighborhood-ecovillage+subscribe@googlegroups.com.

Monroe County Pharmaceutical Disposal Program
The Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office this week announced a new effort to collect and properly dispose of unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceutical drugs and controlled substances in order to reduce the risk of illegal diversion, drug abuse, overdose, and environmental risks resulting from improper disposal. For more information visit http://www.co.monroe.in.us/tsd/Justice/Prosecutor/CommunityInitiatives/SafeDrugDisposal.aspx or call 349-DRUG.

Take the Pledge – Go Phosphorus Free!
Clear Choices for Clean Water is a campaign to increase awareness about lawn care and its impact on our streams and lakes. Water quality friendly lawn care includes practices such as using phosphorus-free fertilizer, landscaping with native plants, managing yard and pet wastes, and overall lawn reform. Click here to take the pledge: http://www.clearchoicescleanwater.org/

Student Conservation Association Internships
The SCA is one of the biggest partners for national parks and forests. Each year, they send thousands of youth across the country to get conservation experience in awesome places. Living expenses, housing, and round trip travel provided. Internships run from 3-12 months and are available in all 50 states. See http://thesca.org/serve/internships for more information and to apply.